Re: The End of the Carrier Age?
I expect the Varyag will be launched and start testing this year....but again, it will be at least a year, and probably two before she is actually commissioned.
Now, all those things are ultimately going to happen...but as I said, the US will probably already have introduced production systems to counter them before they are...in fact, with the DF-21 that has alrady happened with BMD, which is operational on US AEGIS ships today. With the J-20, as I stated, the F-35 and the F-22 are already there (atually first USAF F-35 in production late this year and next).
And then there is the really exotic stuff like the laser testing I pointed you towards. The US is testing that now and publishing it for everyone to see.
Anyhow, IMHO, all of this points matter-of-factly to the point of this thread. Is the Carrier age over? When you look at all of the technologies being produced to attack and defend them, it is pretty clear both sides realize that that age is not over...in fact, IMHO, no where near.
Carrier type ships are in fact proliferating right now to many different countries...the age is still in a growth mode. Time will tell.
As I stated, the DF-21 has not had an operational test of any kind that we have seen. If they test it in the open, ie. firing it far out to sea on a test range, we will see it. We haven't. The J-20 is many years away from production...even the PRC states this. I believe they did get this prototype or technology demonstrator out faster than the US thought...but it is still a long ways from production. The F-35 will be out in all three variants, in production and being used, probably before the first J-20 production craft enters actual service with the PLAAF. But we shall see.DF-21, J-20, the Varyag, those are all milestones, and the US is starting to realize that in the not-too-far future, it will no longer be able to rely on its technological supremacy.
I expect the Varyag will be launched and start testing this year....but again, it will be at least a year, and probably two before she is actually commissioned.
Now, all those things are ultimately going to happen...but as I said, the US will probably already have introduced production systems to counter them before they are...in fact, with the DF-21 that has alrady happened with BMD, which is operational on US AEGIS ships today. With the J-20, as I stated, the F-35 and the F-22 are already there (atually first USAF F-35 in production late this year and next).
And then there is the really exotic stuff like the laser testing I pointed you towards. The US is testing that now and publishing it for everyone to see.
Anyhow, IMHO, all of this points matter-of-factly to the point of this thread. Is the Carrier age over? When you look at all of the technologies being produced to attack and defend them, it is pretty clear both sides realize that that age is not over...in fact, IMHO, no where near.
Carrier type ships are in fact proliferating right now to many different countries...the age is still in a growth mode. Time will tell.